The Enduring Charm of the ‘Magic Flute’

In a distant land filled with magic and perils, a prince and his companion set out on a brave quest to free an imprisoned princess from the forces of evil. But nothing is quite what it seems in this world, not even night and day.

This is the story of “The Magic Flute” (“Die Zauberflöte”), Mozart’s last and most famous opera, composed in 1791, just two months before his death. An immediate success then, it continues to charm audiences today, no matter what age. It is an example of one of the most influential genres in the Western classical canon, the “singspiel” opera (where singing and spoken dialogue combine), and is deeply rooted in both popular and classical culture.

Mozart, seen here in a posthumous painting by Barbara Krafft in 1819, composed "The Magic Flute" as his last and most popular opera. Public Domain

An Enchanting Tale

Tamino, a prince, is lost in a foreign land and chased by a monstrous serpent. Three mysterious women come to his rescue, who turn out to be servants of the Queen of the Night. They give Tamino a portrait of Pamina, the queen’s daughter, imprisoned by the evil Sarastro, Priest of the Sun. The prince instantly falls in love with the princess and vows to rescue her. To protect him on his quest, the three women hand him a magic flute. Papageno, a bird-catcher, also joins Tamino. They journey to the faraway temple where Pamina is imprisoned.

In Act 2, the prince finds out that Sarastro is actually a wise priest hiding Pamina from the evil Queen of the Night. To prove himself worthy of Pamina’s love, Tamino has to undergo new trials. With the power of the magic flute, the lovers pass through fire and water, earning the right to be together. As they succeed, the Queen of the Night appears with her servants to destroy the temple, but Sarastro defeats them. The sun rises as a new journey begins for the united pair.

Papageno (L) and Tamino look at the magic flute, in Kenneth Branagh's film, "The Magic Flute." Revolver Entertainment

Love wins against all adversity, and light triumphs over darkness. “The Magic Flute” is about finding one’s way in the world through courage, virtue, and wisdom. It is an inspirational and enchanting tale, not only through its intriguing plot but also through its famous score and exploration of human emotions.

Mozart’s Powerful Music

Mozart created a memorable masterpiece through his compositional skills in his ability to paint the characters and their inner motives.

The most intriguing character is undoubtedly the Queen of the Night. The role, originally written for Mozart’s sister-in-law, is reputed to be the highest and most difficult one in the opera, with its light, rapid coloratura and high pitches. Her first aria laments her daughter’s loss, and that sadness is quickly transformed into rage in her second aria, “Hell’s revenge boils in my heart” (“Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen”). In this popular second aria, the queen orders Pamina to kill Sarastro, characterizing the queen as the villain through spoken words as well as virtuosic vocal lines and a wide vocal range.

The queen’s arias contrast with Sarastro’s, which are deep and stately, reflecting his wisdom as a spiritual leader. The best example is “Within these sacred halls“ (“In diesen heil'gen Hallen”), where the priest sings about forgiveness and brotherhood. At a musical level, Sarastro contrasts with the Queen of the Night through pitch extremes: his role descends to a low F2 (about an octave and a half below middle C) while her role reaches an F6 (the F above a high C), four octaves above Sarastro.

Mozart uses a variety of musical styles to create moving characters and reinforce their personalities. The young, idealized couple has more lyrical arias, as in “This image is enchantingly beautiful” (“Dies bildnis ist bezaubernd schön”), the aria where Tamino falls in love with Pamina’s portrait. As for Papageno and his soulmate Papagena, their melodies are folk-like and charming.

An Enigmatic Opera

It’s not only the opera’s plot and music that charm audiences; it’s also entices with its many possible interpretations.

Behind its fairy tale exterior, the opera is much more complex. Mozart belonged to the Classical period, a period overlapping with the Enlightenment, a European philosophical movement where thinkers believed in morality to create a just society. Mozart adhered to this principle, and “The Magic Flute” is often thought to be an allegory of the quest for enlightenment, where reason triumphs over irrationality in a personal quest for knowledge and self-understanding.

Pamina sings, in Kenneth Branagh's film of "The Magic Flute." Revolver Entertainment

Many elements remain enigmatic, such as the role of the magic flute. Possibly a symbol of the power of the music, it could also represent the voice of reason or the force of life. So many interpretations are possible with this opera, and everybody has their own opinion.

What is uncontested is that “The Magic Flute” continues to charm audiences through Mozart’s ethereal music. It remains one of the most moving and potent operas the human mind has yet to achieve.

"The Magic Flute," Mozart's most popular opera, was made into a film by Kenneth Branagh. Revolver Entertainment

“The Magic Flute” opera has been made into a film directed by Kenneth Branagh and is available on Prime Video. A non-operatic fantasy directed by Roland Emmerich based on the opera will be released to theaters later in March.